Board to audit First Nations woodland licenses in Skeena region

VICTORIA – The Forest Practices Board will audit the forest planning and practices of the Tahltan Nation Development Corporation (the Tahltan) and Metlakatla Forestry Corporation (Metlakatla) on First Nations Woodland Licences N3B and N3E, starting Monday, Aug. 12, 2024.

The Tahltan and Metlakatla operate within the Skeena region in the northwestern part of the province. The forest operations of Tahltan, which are subject to audit, are situated in the Iskut Forest Development unit within the Cassiar timber supply area of the Skeena Stikine Natural Resource District. Forestry activities are primarily concentrated along Highway 37 south of Iskut.

Metlakatla conducts its forest activities in the North Coast Forest Development Unit 1, located within the North Coast timber supply area of the Coast Mountain Natural Resource District. Forestry operations are south of the Work Channel, near Prince Rupert.

Auditors will examine whether timber harvesting, roads, bridges, silviculture, wildfire protection, and associated planning from Aug. 1, 2022, until Aug. 16, 2024, met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act.

The remote Skeena region boasts a diverse landscape, featuring estuaries, coastal mountains, rivers and plateaus. The dominant biogeoclimatic zones are Coastal Western Hemlock and Interior Cedar Hemlock, with balsam, hemlock and cedar being the primary species in the harvest profile. The audit area is within the territory of the Tahltan and Metlakatla Nations.

Once the audit is complete, a report will be prepared. Any party that may be adversely affected by the audit findings will have a chance to respond. The board?s final report and recommendations will be released to the public and provincial government.

The Forest Practices Board is B.C.’s independent watchdog for sound forest and range practices, reporting its findings and recommendations directly to the public and government. Auditees are selected using a modified random sampling method without considering past performance or public complaints.

The board audits forest and range practices on public lands and the appropriateness of government enforcement. It can also make recommendations for improvement to practices
and legislation.

Contact:

Geoff Recknell
Executive Director
Forest Practices Board
Geoff.Recknell@bcfpb.ca
250 213-4702 / 1 800 994-5899